US TO PARTIALLY SUSPEND VISA ISSUANCE TO NIGERIA, 18 OTHER COUNTRIES FROM JANUARY 1, 2026
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The United States government has announced a partial suspension of visa issuance to nationals of 19 countries, including Nigeria, effective January 1, 2026, under Presidential Proclamation 10998 aimed at protecting U.S. national security.
The measure, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. EST, was disclosed by the U.S. Department of State and will affect the issuance of nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas, F, M, and J student and exchange visitor visas, as well as most immigrant visas, subject to limited exceptions.
The affected countries are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
According to the Department of State, the suspension will not apply to certain categories of applicants. Exemptions include lawful permanent residents (green card holders), dual nationals applying with passports from non-affected countries, U.S. government employees eligible for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), and participants in select major international sporting events. Immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran are also excluded from the suspension.
U.S. authorities clarified that the proclamation applies only to foreign nationals who are outside the United States on the effective date and who do not hold a valid U.S. visa as of January 1, 2026. Individuals who already possess valid visas before the effective date will not be affected.
The Department of State stressed that no visas issued before January 1, 2026, have been or will be revoked as a result of the proclamation.
Visa applicants from affected countries may continue to submit applications and attend scheduled interviews, but officials warned that such applicants may be deemed ineligible for visa issuance or admission under the new policy.
The proclamation marks a significant tightening of U.S. immigration controls and is expected to have wide-ranging implications for travel, education, and migration from the listed countries, particularly Nigeria, which has one of the largest numbers of U.S. visa applicants in Africa.
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